Shuster headed for 9th term in Congress

U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Everett, has survived another challenge from tea party conservative Art Halvorson to earn a ninth term in Congress.

In the final unofficial vote early Wednesday, the chairman of the House transportation committee topped Halvorson, a retired Coast Guard captain from Manns Choice, Bedford County, with 63 percent of the vote to Halvorson's 37 percent (183,511 to 105,838). Shuster won 11 of the 12 counties. Write-in tallies for Adam Sedlock Jr. were not available.

Shuster said the voters "rejected one of the nastiest negative campaigns I've been in." Shuster said he was certain he got support from Democrats.

The tea party had less pull in the general election when "a wider spectrum of voters" cast ballots than it had in the GOP primary, according to Shuster. Halvorson tried to divide the Republican party for his own personal gain.

Shuster said he intends to be a big part of the discussion with the president, either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, in rebuilding the nation's infrastructure because the nation cannot have a prosperous economy with a broken down infrastructure.

Halvorson posted a statement on his campaign's Web site: "While we are all disappointed at the results of tonight's election, we can take enormous pride in the tireless efforts of our supporters across the district. They took on this noble challenge with few resources and against daunting odds. Their bravery and integrity reflect the very best this country has to offer. I hope all of you will join me in prayer, asking our Lord to guide Bill Shuster and his colleagues in Congress, and help them to steer our great country back on the path of civic virtue, liberty, respect for life, fiscal discipline and lasting prosperity. May God bless America."

Voters in Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District did not have a simple choice between a Republican and Democrat.

Halvorson’s name appeared on the ballot as the Democratic nominee while Shuster was the Republican nominee. Both are registered Republicans. Shuster won the Republican nomination from Halvorson by about 1,200 votes in May. Halvorson’s write-in votes secured his nomination by Democrats in the primary election.

Shuster played up the potential confusion about a tea party Republican running with a Democratic label.

Sedlock ran a write-in campaign as “the real Democrat.” Write-in votes won’t be tallied for a week, when official results are certified county by county. Electronic counters on election night note when there are write-in votes for an office, but cannot determine which name they are cast for. Write-ins must be hand counted.

A Sedlock victory is all but impossible, based on write-in activity. In Franklin County where less than 2 percent of voters cast a write-in for the position. In Fayette County, a Democraticv majority county where Sedlock practices as a psychologist, fewer than 8 percent of the vote was tallied for write-in candidates.

Republicans hold a solid majority in Franklin County, but a less firm majority across the district.

With all 75 precincts reporting in Franklin County, Shuster led Halvorson 44,968 to 11,366 (67 percent to 33 percent).

Political organizations supporting Shuster stuffed mailboxes with attack ads in the final weeks of the campaign. One ad playing to Democrats claimed Halvorson was a right-wing Republican pretending to be a Democrat. Another playing to Republicans said Halvorson was joined with liberal Democrats.

Progress United PAC alerted Democrats that Halvorson was a “right-wing tea party soldier” on one oversized postcard. The political action committee faked a lineup photo of Halvorson and noted he was “cited for harassment."

Pennsylvania State Police had filed a summary violation against Halvorson based on the claim of a Shuster campaign volunteer at the Fayette County Fair. Halvorson has denied the charge and alleges false reporting.

A mailing from Republican Party of Pennsylvania claimed that Halvorson was the wrong choice for Franklin County because he “doesn’t understand what Letterkenny does.”

Halvorson ran his grassroots campaign with little money. Starting in the primary campaign, Halvorson portrayed Shuster as a Washington insider who dated an airline lobbyist as she lobbied his committee.

Shuster countered with supportive videos from his children and ex-wife and with a door hanger posing the four of them together.

Shuster also defended his “conservative leadership” and his ability to craft bipartisan legislation. He is seeking his eighth full term in Congress, his ninth counting his short first term.

Halvorson ran against Shuster in the 2014 and 2016 Republican primary elections. He called for reducing the role of federal government in transportation and education.

The 9th District stretches nearly to Pittsburgh from Chambersburg. It includes all of Franklin, Fulton, Bedford, Blair, Fayette and Indiana counties and parts of six others.

Sedlock said that power outages affected early voting at three precincts in Indiana County.